Last week saw Leeds host a dinner to celebrate the 28th Commonwealth Sports awards winners.

The event - held at the Royal Armouries, Leeds, on Saturday 24 October - welcomed international guests including  former undisputed world champion Lennox Lewis CBE, Mike Fennell, President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, plus supporters of the Commonwealth Sports Awards and key business leaders from across the region.

The Commonwealth Sports awards were conceived by Al Hamilton MBE to honour the achievements of sportsmen and women from across the Commonwealth and to encourage youth from around the nations to aspire to greater heights.

Al Hamilton MBE, Founder, Commonwealth Sports Awards Foundation explained: “The event aims to applaud and extol the excellence of Commonwealth athletes, the elite of their generation.

“The uniqueness of these awards is that they allow  the lesser known athletes and those from behind the scenes to share the spotlight with the more high profile performers.”

The awards encompass all sports across the 71 nations and territories. The 2008 nominees were put forward for performances during the calendar year and have been judged by an international panel selected across all regions of the Commonwealth.

Al added: “Due to certain global difficulties this year’s event was scaled down, however it was still an important event and one that wouldn’t have been possible without the city of Leeds.

“An event like this only happens because like minded people pull together and I would like to thank everyone for making this weekend in Leeds a special one and continuing the great work of the Commonwealth Sports Awards.”

The 28th Commonwealth Sports dinner was brought to Leeds by Marketing Leeds.

Marketing Leeds chief executive Deborah Green said: “The event was a great win for Leeds. The evening provided an excellent opportunity for the city to network with key decision makers from the sporting world and also showcase our city to a truly international audience which included guests from Jamaica and South Africa.

“Lennox Lewis CBE was a great inspiration, as was the night’s lifetime achievement winner, Sir Christopher Chataway. We look forward to continuing to build relationships with the guests and exploring opportunities to host sporting teams and events in the future.”

The nominees and winners of the 28th Commonwealth Sports Awards are:

Outstanding Male Athlete
Nominees: Usain Bolt (Jamaica), Sir Chris Hoy (Scotland), Samuel Kamau Wanjiri (Kenya)
Winner: Usain Bolt (Jamaica)

Outstanding Female Athlete
Nominees: Stephanie Rice (Australia), Rebecca Adlington (England), Nicola Ann David (Malaysica)
Winner: Stephanie Rice (Australia)

Male Athlete with a Disability
Nominees: Oscar Pistorius (South Africa), Henry Riprono Kirwa (Kenya), Heath Francis (Australia)
Winner: Oscar Pistorius (South Africa)

Female Athlete with a Disability
Nominees: Natalie Du Toit (South Africa), Eleanor Simmonds (England), Karolina Palendritou (Cyprus)
Winner: Natalie Du Toit (South Africa)

Outstanding Young Achiever
Nominees: Manueli Tulo (Fiji), Laura Robson (England), Chad Ho (South Africa)
Winner: Manueli Tulo (Fiji)

Outstanding Team
South African Rugby 7’s (South Africa)

Sports Administrator of the Year
Nominees: Marakita Lenoa (Fiji), Peter King (England), Takitoa Taumoepeau (Tonga)
Winner: Marakita Lenoa (Fiji)

Lifetime Achievement Award
Nominees: Sir Christopher Chataway (England), Charles Flower (Gibraltar), Jan Cameron (New Zealand)
Winner: Sir Christopher Chataway (England)

Sir Christopher Chataway attended the event to receive his lifetime achievement award.

Winners who attended were awarded with a specially commissioned trophy to take back to their home countries. Those unable to attend were sent their awards.

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